IN THE NEWS

September 2017The American Organist reviews of new “All Night Vigil” recording featuring members of the Washington Master Chorale
Gloriae Dei Cantores releases All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 by Sergei Rachmaninoff, conducted by Peter Jermihov (internationally recognized specialist in Russian and Orthodox liturgical music) and produced by Richard K. Pugsley , director of Gloriae Dei Cantores. Expressing their ongoing vision of unity through music, Gloriae Dei Cantores is joined by members of the St. Romanos Cappella , The Patriarch Tikhon Choir, and The Washington Master Chorale. Soloists Dmitry Ivanchenko and Mariya Berezovska, of the National Opera of Ukraine in Kiev join the seventy-seven singers for this landmark collaboration. Vadim Gan, protodeacon under the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church sings the clergy exclamations with Dmitry Ivanchenko. All-Night Vigil was recorded by legendary sound engineer, Keith O. Johnson from Reference Recordings.Learn more and hear excerpts →

March 6, 2017Washington Master Chorale shines in concert of works by 4 living composers
The Washington Master Chorale presented four works by living composers on Sunday afternoon at National Presbyterian Church in a lithe and nimble performance that underscored how the marriage of voices and instruments can create otherworldly sounds. With artistic director Thomas Colohan conducting, the chorale’s 54 members sang with zest in the premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s “Ruminations.” Commissioned by the chorale, the 17-minute setting of poems by the Persian poet Rumi offers some of the composer’s signature gems: colorful melodies floating over rhythmic material, chameleon-like harmonics, shimmers of sound — all grounded in a logical structure that allows for interpretive elasticity.

March 2017New from Jennifer Higdon(Interview on Classical WETA)
Washington Master Chorale’s next concert–on March 5 at National Presbyterian Church, called Time and Memory–includes the world premiere of a new piece by Pulitzer Prize winning American composer Jennifer Higdon. Classical WETA morning host David Ginder chats with Jennifer about the particulars of the commission, choosing the text, and bringing a new piece to life.

Washington Master Chorale – Time and Memory(Interview on Classical WETA)
Washington Master Chorale’s March 5th concert (at National Presbyterian Church) is called Time and Memory. It includes the world premiere of a newly commissioned work by Pulitzer Prize winning American composer Jennifer Higdon, plus John Corigliano’s Fern Hill and other pieces on nostalgia, love, and immortality. Classical WETA morning host David Ginder chats with Master Chorale Artistic Director Thomas Colohan about the Chorale’s goal to add new works to the repertoire, the thrill of commissioning and premiering a new piece, and the inclusive and welcoming themes of the March 5th concert.

March 2016Watch this video about the creation of Robert Kyr’s Song of the Beloved. Kyr’s commission was made possible by a generous gift from the Fetzer Institute whose work reflects a belief in the transformative power of love and forgiveness. Texts were drawn from such disparate sources as Sappho, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Sir Philip Sidney, Vietnamese poet Thich Nhat Hanh, East Indian Rabindranath Tagore, and others.

December 8, 2015Washington Master Chorale Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant
Today, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced awards totaling more than $27.6 million in its first funding round of fiscal year 2016, including an Art Works award of $10,000 to the Washington Master Chorale for its planned Spring 2017 “Time and Memory” performance, which will include the premier of a newly-commissioned work by composer Jennifer Higdon. “We’re thrilled and gratified that the NEA chose to support the Washington Master Chorale and this exciting new work,” noted Maestro Colohan. NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “The arts are part of our everyday lives – no matter who you are or where you live – they have the power to transform individuals, spark economic vibrancy in communities, and transcend the boundaries across diverse sectors of society. Supporting projects like the one from the Washington Master Chorale offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.”

December 4, 2014Washington Master Chorale Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced December 2, 2014 that the Washington Master Chorale is one of 919 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. Washington Master Chorale will receive a $10,000 grant to support a commissioning and choral arts performance project. “Our project will focus on American choral repertoire and will include the commissioning of a new choral work by composer, conductor and keyboard artist Julian Wachner, music director of The Washington Chorus, as well as performances of choral works by composers Norman Dello Joio and Morten Lauridsen,” according to Maestro Colohan. “We’re delighted that the NEA chose to support the Washington Master Chorale and this project.”

Marin Alsop and Michael Tilson Thomas on why Leonard Bernstein and his music live on, by Anne Midgette, The Washington Post
(reference to “A Choral Tribute to Leonard Bernstein” concert in article)Read the full article »

June 1, 2011Colohan Receives Prestigious New Award: “Best Director in a New Position”
Washington Master Chorale Artistic Director Thomas Colohan received an “Ovation Award” in recognition of his achievements as “Best Director in a New Position.” Maestro Colohan received the award at the 2nd Annual Greater Washington Choral Excellence Awards ceremony sponsored by the Choralis Foundation. The Choral Excellence Awards were created in 2010 to honor and celebrate excellence and achievement in choral arts in the greater Washington, D.C., area. The award winners were announced at their Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on June 1, 2011, at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington, VA.

2017-2018 Season

YOUTHFUL INDULGENCE
Early Masses of Mozart and Martinfeaturing the glorious a cappella “Mass” by Frank Martin.
The National Presbyterian Church
October 29, 2017 at 5 PM

NEW JOY!
Christmas with the Choralefeaturing Ottorino Respighi’s “Lauda per la Natività del Signore.”
Episcopal Chuch of the Epiphany
December 3, 2017 at 5 PM
December 21, 2017 at 7:30 PM

AMERICAN VOICES
Celebrating the Legacy of Leonard Bernsteinfeaturing Bernstein’s “Missa Brevis” and a new work by Joshua Fishbein, in partnership with the Kennedy Center’s “Leonard Bernstein at 100” celebration.
The National Presbyterian ChurchMarch 4, 2018 at 5 PMGet Tickets »